Carnival in Tokyo to bid adieu
■ India’s 7 medals one more than London ■ US beats China for top slot
It started with a subdued opening ceremony but ended with a carnival. Thousands of athletes from more than 200 countries danced their way into the colossal Tokyo stadium, got together, and partied as the curtain came down on the 2020 Olympic Games in the Japanese capital on Sunday.
Organised in the middle of the resurging Covid-19 pandemic, the 16-day sporting extravaganza certainly lived up to its billing as the Games of Hope and Redemption. It not only celebrated athleticism and the Olympic motto, but also showcased the spirit of humanity by taking note of various social issues.
While the uncertainty posed challenges aplenty for the organisers, the athletes too had their fair share of hurdles to cross. Mental health was the talking point of the Games when American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles, who was expected to add more gold medals to her Rio tally of four, pulled out of an array of events. There were numerous upsets, heartbreaks and narrow misses. Also, the stunning stories of underdogs punching above their weight, terrific teenagers sweeping the skateboarding podium and an unprecedented occasion of two athletes sharing the high jump gold. There was, however, no surprise on top of the medal tally. The United States finished first with 113 medals, including 39 gold, but only after edging out China on the very last day. It turned out to be a watershed edition for
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India, who bagged a total of seven medals, including a historic gold in athletics. With one more than the London 2012 tally, the Tokyo show will be the nation’s new Olympic benchmark.
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, a farmer’s son from Haryana, emerged the new poster boy of India with his incredible achievement. He has shown that Indians too can dominate the worldclass field in athletics.
Between weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s stupendous silver medal on Day 1 and Neeraj’s golden finish on the penultimate day, there were many disappointments. The biggest of them was the shooters’ lacklustre show. The 15member contingent with an array of World Cup winners returned home empty-handed.
Golfer Aditi Ashok, the women’s hockey team and wrestler Deepak Punia lost out on medals narrowly but won many hearts. Discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur, who finished sixth, and boxer Satish Kumar came up with creditable performances.
The Tokyo Games will forever be remembered in the annals of Indian hockey for providing a grand stage for its long-awaited revival spark.